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Friday, 22 May 2009

permanent war, permanent resistance

General Jim Matthis of US joint forces of command: "Simply put, much of what we see in the cities of Iraq, the mountains of Afghanistan, and the foothills of Southern Lebanon, I believe we will see again in the futuire".

The same sentiment as that expressed by Matthis can be found in the latest speech from General Sir Richard Dannatt, head of the British army. He promises the kind of long war, or permanent state of conflict, that the neocons of the Bush era seemed to relish. He actually calls for even more "boots on the ground" to wage wars and sustain military occupations.

The hopes of many that ridding us of Blair and then Bush might bring an end to the 'war on terror' are proving elusive. This is why we need the power of a protest movement against US imperialist domination more than ever. Afghanistan, in particular, is becoming more central.

As troops are slowly withdrawn from Iraq, the focus of US and UK attention has increasingly shifted eastwards. President Obama has disappointed the aspirations of millions by intensifying the military operations in what many people recognise as an unwinnable and immoral 'long war'. With instability quickly growing over the border in Pakistan, it is essential we build a movement of opposition to endless war and occupation.

In Tyneside our next step is a public meeting on Afghanistan, organised by Stop the War. It's at Friends Meeting House, Newcastle, at 7pm on Monday 1 June. It should serve as a springboard for future action.